We use cookies to improve your website experience. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. By closing this message, you
are consenting to our use of cookies.

First 3D coral design project simulates living reefs and new fish habitats

24th September 2019

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0133.

To combat the abuse and degradation of the world’s coral reefs, researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Technion Institute of Technology have developed various 3D printed corals that could become new habitats. In some instances, the fish actually preferred them to natural corals.

Coral reefs worldwide are experiencing a continuous process of decay as a result of climate change, natural causes and human activity, particularly coral harvesting for aquariums.

The research, published in The Design Journal, focused on finding ways to create artificial corals made of bioplastics. They experimented with different materials, colors, sizes, and forms, stemming from a scanned natural coral model.

While other reef replacement projects are underway worldwide, including the Tamar Reef in the Gulf of Eilat by BGU researchers, this initiative is the first to focus on accurately reproducing corals that simulate the structure and functionality of natural living corals. These attributes include water flow around the coral structures, specific sizes that fit the diversity of fish species and proximity to food (plankton).

In the study, researchers used 3D design tools to scan natural coral colonies, then structurally and spatially manipulate the scans to print the artificial ones. The researchers worked through a number of different materials and a variety of printers to achieve the 3D models. Ultimately, they installed four different forms of printed corals in several colors.

The goal was to examine what makes a “good home” and which designs the fish preferred. After the shelters were 3D printed, they were installed on a reef at the northeastern coast of the Red Sea, and near the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat. Then Shashar’s marine biologists continuously dove the research sites over several months and tracked colonization of the models by naturally occurring fishes. Not only did the fish readily accept the 3D printed corals, but they preferred some designs and colors over natural live corals.

“We were surprised to discover that color mattered,” Professor Shashar says. “Humans don’t take into account the outside colors of a house when deciding to buy one, perhaps because they can repaint it. Fish, on the other hand, indicated that the color of their potential new home was a make or break factor. Fish species that can see colors showed a clear preference for colored shelters over dull ones.”

Professor Shashar says that designer’s observations and interventions were important during the concept validation process. By understanding the process of 3D printing and the materials used, the designers could quickly come up with solutions to the problems that arose during the process.

In their next stage of study, the researchers are seeking to design large reef units instead of single corals. “We want to understand what makes some structures work better than others,” says Shashar. “Our approach highlights the potential of tackling environmental challenges through design. Using digital design tools and methods, we can help the global effort to find better future practices to protect and restore coral reefs that are rapidly being annihilated.”

A new concept, “Nature-Centered Design,” according to Professor Tarazi, encapsulates their approach to these colossal challenges.

“No discipline alone can address these challenges,” Shashar says. “There is a clear need for cross discipline collaboration. “We proved that the incorporation of designers in addressing urgent biological issues is beneficial and can serve as a model for incorporating design thinking to address biological questions and sustaining nature.”

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. As Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) looks ahead to turning 50 in 2020, AABGU imagines a future that goes beyond the walls of academia. It is a future where BGU invents a new world and inspires a vision for a stronger Israel and its next generation of leaders. Together with supporters, AABGU will help the University foster excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the communities of the Negev for the next 50 years and beyond. Visit vision.aabgu.org to learn more.

AABGU, headquartered in Manhattan, has nine regional offices throughout the United States. For more information visit www.aabgu.org

Research divers are implanting 3D printed corals in the Red Sea to . The study is part of a collaboration between the BGU team led by Prof. Nadav Shashar of BGU’s Marine Biology and Biotechnology Program and the Design-Tech Lab headed by Prof. Ezri Tarazi at the Technion.

Books contacts

A 425-million-year-old millipede fossil found in Scotland is the world's oldest known fossil of an insect or arachnid. Researchers have published their exciting new findings in Historical Biology [Read more...]

3

1

3 days ago

We are excited to announce have integrated into their #manuscriptsubmission processes with . More here: [Read more...]

0

0

5 days ago

Does #pregnancy affect #memory? This article, in the news, compared control participants with those in their third trimester of pregnancy to find out... #Neuropsychology [Read more...]

1

2

9 days ago

What can modern scientists, looking for a #COVID19 vaccine, learn from Edward Jenner? This article looks at the history of smallpox
and vaccination
[Read more...]

0

1

9 days ago

How will #sports be after #COVID19? This article examines role of the media and how it affects sports #socialmedia #golf [Read more...]

2

0

10 days ago

A recent study of people in Singapore who had contracted SARS in the early aughts found they retain “significant levels of neutralizing antibodies” for nine to 17 years after initial infection [Read more...]

0

0

11 days ago

This study found that shields worn by a test subject within 1.8 metres of a cough reduced inhaled influenza virus by 92%, although this protective effect reduced after the cough had dispersed for 30 minutes [Read more...]

2

0

17 days ago

This new research shows that people believe they're less likely than others are to fall for online scams. The cybersecurity study has significant implications as we increasingly work remotely during #COVID19 pandemic [Read more...]

0

1

17 days ago

The number of Asian Hornets, Vespa mandarinia, is on the rise in North America. This study shows just how potentially lethal they are with 30 to 50 people dying each year in Japan alone [Read more...]

0

0

18 days ago

Looking at 315,000 children, this new study out today suggests that childhood obesity raises bladder cancer risk. The findings could help scientists improve their understanding of what triggers bladder cancer [Read more...]